The State of Jefferson, as proposed by Gilbert Gable in 1941. Modern versions of the movement usually include more counties up and down the Pacific Coast

The Proposed flag of Jefferson

Jefferson is a mostly rural area of Southern Oregon and Northern California. Several times during the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries there have been attempts to establish the area as a separate U.S. state. This region on the Pacific Coast is the most famous of several that have sought to adopt the name of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States; the name was proposed in the 19th century for the Territory of Jefferson, as well as in 1915 in a bill in the Texas legislature for a proposed state that would be created from the Texas Panhandle region. Image File history File links State of Jefferson &#169 2004 Matthew Trump, based on Wikipedia county outline maps File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Flag of Jefferson File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... State nickname: Beaver State Other U.S. States Capital Salem Largest city Portland Governor Ted Kulongoski (D) Official languages None Area 255,026 km² (9th)  - Land 248,849 km²  - Water 6,177 km² (2. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... 21st century - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... A U.S. state is any one of the 50 states (four of which officially favor the term commonwealth) which, together with the District of Columbia, form the United States of America. ... Thomas Jefferson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Seal of the President of the United States The President of the United States is the head of state of the United States. ... Jefferson Territory was an extralegal, unrecognized territory of the United States that existed from 1859 until 1860 or 1861, just prior to the Congressional organization of Colorado Territory. ... 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Texas Legislature is the dominant branch of government of the U.S. state of Texas. ... The Texas Panhandle is a region of the state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. ...

19th century

In 1852, at the first California state legislature, a bill was introduced to create a "state of Shasta" encompassing much of the area known as Jefferson, including the Shasta Cascade. The Shasta Cascade region of California is located in the northeastern section of the state bordering Oregon and Nevada, north of the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountain range. ...

Two years later, a separate movement began in southern Oregon. A proposal to create such a state was presented to Congress and remained open until Oregon was granted statehood in 1859. 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ...

20th century

In October of 1941, the mayor of Port Orford, Oregon, Gilbert Gable, announced that the Oregon counties of Curry, Josephine, Jackson, and Klamath should join with the California counties of Del Norte, Siskiyou and Modoc to form a new state, which was later named Jefferson. 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Port Orford is a town located in Curry County, Oregon. ... State nickname: Beaver State Other U.S. States Capital Salem Largest city Portland Governor Ted Kulongoski (D) Official languages None Area 255,026 km² (9th)  - Land 248,849 km²  - Water 6,177 km² (2. ... Curry County is a county located in the state of Oregon. ... Josephine County is a county located in the state of Oregon. ... Jackson County is a county located in the state of Oregon. ... Klamath County is a county located in the state of Oregon. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... Del Norte County is Californias northwesternmost county, located on the Pacific coast south of Oregon. ... Siskiyou County is a county located in far northernmost California, in the Cascade Mountains on the Oregon border. ... Modoc County is a county located in Californias far northeast corner, bounded by Oregon to the north and Nevada to the east. ...

Gable proposed creating this new state to draw attention to the condition of the state roads along the Oregon-California border, which at the time were oiled dirt roads that became impassable in rain or snow, and handicapped economic development. As local historian Jim Rock explains, "It was more publicity stunt than serious secession movement at that point. After all, under the U.S. Constitution, they had to get the approval of Congress as well as the legislatures of both states."

Gable's act found sympathy throughout the region, who perceived their state legislatures as indifferent to their needs. Siskiyou county especially embraced the cause: the county seat Yreka became the provisional capital, where in November, 1941 county representatives met and selected the name Jefferson for their county, in commemoration of Thomas Jefferson, the nation's third president. Yreka is the county seat of Siskiyou County, California. ... Thomas Jefferson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

While inhabitants in Lassen and Shasta counties in northern California flirted with joining the secession movement, only the counties of Curry, Sisikiyou, Trinity, and Del Norte actually endorsed the idea. Lassen County is a county located in northeastern California. ... Shasta County is a county located in northern California, in the Cascade Mountains. ...

On November 27, 1941, a group of young men gained national media attention when, brandishing hunting rifles for dramatic effect, they stopped traffic on U.S. Highway 99 south of Yreka, and handed out copies of a Proclamation of Independence, stating that the state of Jefferson was in "patriotic rebellion against the States of California and Oregon" and would continue to "secede every Thursday until further notice." November 27 is the 331st day (332nd on leap years) of the year. ... Detail from antique road map of US 99 through California. ...

The secession movement came to an abrupt end. The first blow was the death of mayor Gable on December 2, followed several days later by the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7. December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Satellite image of Pearl Harbor. ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Today

As described in a April, 2003 American Journalism Review article:

The "state" is diverse politically, with a mixture of conservatives and liberals. Many share the Westerner's common disdain of government and politics. "Politicians and diapers need to be changed often for the same reason," reads one bumper sticker. And many also share a desire to hang on to the landscape that draws both residents and tourists to an area that stretches from the stunning Oregon coast to ethereal Crater Lake and down to California's towering Mt. Shasta.

The region retains this identity reinforced by institutions such as Jefferson Public Radio. The Oregon Coast is a geographical term that is used to describe all or part of the coast of Oregon along the Pacific Ocean. ... To see the geological feature that goes by the same name, see crater lake. ... Mount Shasta, (formerly known as Mt. ... Jefferson Public Radio is a regional public radio broadcasting service serving a 60,000 square mile (150,000 km²) mostly rural area of Southern Oregon and Northern California. ...

Today there are more talks of creating the new state, mostly only half serious. Many citizens of "Jefferson" feel threatened by National Marine Fisheries Service's plans to create fish hatcheries along the Klamath River, as well as creating a buffering zone along the river. This buffering zone would oust many people from their homes and even demolish an entire town. Meanwhile, others in "Jefferson" have embraced the idea of the entire Pacific Northwest breaking away from the United States and Canada to become its own country, Cascadia. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is a part of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). ... Darker red states are always part of the Pacific Northwest. ... Cascadia is the ecological and climatic region of North America bounded by the Cascade Range and the Pacific Ocean. ...

Jefferson is commemorated by the State of Jefferson Scenic Byway between Yreka and O'Brien, Oregon, which runs 108 miles along California State Highway 96 and U.S. Forest Service Primary Route 48. OBrien is an unincorporated place within Josephine County, Oregon. ... The USDA Forest Service, a United States government agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, is under the leadership of the United States Secretary of Agriculture. ...

External links

• Mythical State of Jefferson
• Jefferson, the 51st State with map and flag
• Jefferson Public Radio on the state of Jefferson